Logic and Reasoning Institute Colloquium Talk

Euclid’s “Elements” was once considered a bedrock of every liberal arts education. Plato’s Academy is said to have barred the way to all those who were ignorant of geometry and both Jefferson and Lincoln swore by the authority of its logic. The influence of Euclid is still felt today with much of modern mathematics modeled on the Elements’ axiomatic structure yet “Elements” is no longer read as it once was, not even by mathematicians.

O’Shea will make the case that it ought to be read by all and will offer some first reflections on professing Euclid to disparate audiences: a general education class where it is the primary text and a 400-level class for future high-school math teachers.